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Jacqueline NovikovBoston, Massachusetts

Soprano Jacqueline Novikov, founder of Forma Music, is dedicated to entertaining and educating audiences through classical
vocal music. She uses music's powerful language to express life's humorous, serious, mundane and sacred truths. Jacqueline holds a B.M. from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and a M.M. from Manhattan School of Music in New York City....more

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Sound the trumpet, sound the trumpet, sound the trumpet!
Sound, sound, sound the trumpet till around
You make the list’ning shores rebound.
On the sprightly o’boy play
All the instruments of joy
That skillful numbers can employ,
To celebrate the glories of this day.

Track Name: Oh, had I Jubals Lyre

Oh, had I Jubal’s lyre,
Or Miriam’s tuneful voice!
To sounds like his I would aspire,
In songs like hers rejoice.
My humble strains but faintly show,
How much to Heav’n and thee I owe.

Track Name: Music for a While

Music for a while
Shall all your cares beguile:
Wond’ring how your pains were eas’d
And disdaining to be pleas’d
Till Alecto free the dead
From their eternal bands.
Till the snakes drop from her head,
And the whip from out her hands.

Track Name: My Love and I Are Parted (Da Schlagt die Abschiedsstunde)

My love and I are parted,
By fate’s relentless rigor,
Which hounded out joy with cruel vigor!
And I lie broken hearted,
Condemned to weep and grieve all alone?
Through grief all too real,
My heart will be leal;
True to the love I once have known!
But you? Yes you?
Will you remember and be forever true?
Or will you seek somebody new?
But no! How could I wrong you so?
Blame not my heart, but blame my woe.
For though you go,
That you were crushed by fortune’s blow
Your tears will show by ceaseless flow.

Two hearts once bound by deep affection,
In spite of all that fate has done,
Will always beat as one!
We mock at grief,
We scorn dejection;
The blows of fate we can despise,
For none can loose or break the ties
Which holds us fast and exorcise
The evil power that tries
To change love’s happy tender sighs
To sorrow’s woeful cries!
Let lovers trust in love’s protection,
Then let them dry their weeping eyes;
And love shall be their prize.

Track Name: Come My Love (Bester Jungling)

Come my love, my dearest treasure,
How I long to hold you tight!
And my heart has but one pleasure:
Finding favor in your sight;
Since your joy is my delight.

But alack!
The fondest rapture
Sometimes diminishes and fades away!
Though we tire of love’s sweet play,
Though its bliss we can’t recapture,
Should love me tasted?
Yes, because should we meet,
freed from passion’s sway,
Not a kiss will have been wasted
If we both can smile and say:
Happy yesterday!

I hate music but I like to sing
La, dee, da, da, dee, la, de, da, dee,
But that’s not music
Not what I call music, no sir
Music is a lot of men and a lot of tails
Making lots of noise like a lot of females
Music is a lot of folks in a big dark hall
Where they really don’t want to be at all
With a lot of chairs and a lot of airs
And a lot of furs and diamonds
Music is silly
I hate music but I like to sing,
La, dee, da, da, dee, la, de, da, dee.

Track Name: A Green Lowland of Pianos

in the evening
as far as the eye can see
herds
of black pianos
up to their knees
in the mire
they listen to the frogs
they gurgle in water
with chords of rapture
they are entranced
by froggish, moonish spontaneity
after the vacation
they cause scandals
in a concert hall
during the artistic milking
suddenly they lie down
like cows
looking with indifference
at the white flowers
of the audience
at the gesticulating
of the ushers

Track Name: When I Have Sung My Songs

When I have sung my songs to you I’ll sing no more
T’would be a sacrilege to sing at another door
We’ve worked so hard to hold our dreams just you and I
I could not share them all again I’d rather die
With just the thought that I had loved so well so true
That I could never sing again
That I could never never sing again except to you!

Track Name: Art is Calling for Me

Mama is a queen and Papa is a king
So I am a princess and I know it
But court etiquette is a dull dreary thing
I just hate it all and I show it
To sing on the stage that’s the one life for me
My figure’s just like Tetrazzini
I know I’d win fame if I sang in Bohéme
That opera by Signor Puccini
I’ve roulades and the trills
That would send the cold chills
Down the backs of all hearers of my vocal frills

I long to be a prima donna,
I long to shine upon the stage
I have the embonpoint
To become a queen of song
And my figure would look pretty as a page
I want to be a screechy peachy cantatrice
Like other plump girls that I see
I hate society
I hate propriety
Art is calling for me

I’m in the elite and men sigh at my feet
Still I do not fancy my position
I have not much use for the men that I meet
I quite burn with lyric ambition
Those tenors so sweet
If they made love to me
I’d be a success, that I do know
And Melba I’d oust if I once sang in Faust
That opera so charming by Gounod
Girls would be on the brink
Of hysterics, I think
Even strong men would have to go out for a drink

I long to be a prima donna,
I long to shine upon the stage
With my avoirdupois
And my tra la la la la
I would be the chief sensation of the age
I long to hear them shouting: "Viva" to the Diva
Oh, very lovely that must be
That’s what I’m dying for
That’s what I’m sighing for
Art is calling for me

Track Name: This Place is Mine

Where does the time fly
Simply too few hours in the day
Oh, a Diva’s work is never done
No relief, No time for fun
Not if a Diva has to run
An opera company
Every small detail to supervise
Every pretty face to scrutinize
I plan beneath these eyes
This opera company
Why take on this arduous chore
Sleepless nights
I pace across my bedroom floor
Why do I live completely for
This opera company

Cause it’s...
Mine from the stalls
To the portraits on the walls
From the balconies and loges far and near
It belongs all to me
Every item that you see
From the cellar to the crystal chandelier
From the fluted marble grand facade
To the elevated promenade
From every toilet bowl
To every leading role
This place is mine

I will sing
I will glow
I will never let it go
I will hold it ever captive in my hand
Like a god
Like a queen
I will enter any scene
And control it like a kingdom I command
And I pity any baritone
Who attempts to tread this stage I own
With no polite request
He’s here at my behest
Cause it’s all mine

I’ll be out on the stage
Looking great
And half my age
Every chance I get
I’ll get them on their feet
I will burn
I will scheme
I will realize my dream
For if I’m not in the light
I’m incomplete

And the best part
I’m just coming to
How they’ll all applaud for
You know who

I can’t believe I’m here
And this is my career

It must be seen like a torch
We’ll engrave it on the porch
Like an edict
Like a beacon
Like a sign

This place is mine!

Track Name: Why Do They Shut Me Out Of Heaven?

Why - do they shut me out of Heaven?
Did I sing - too loud?
But - I can sing a little minor,
Timid as a bird.

Wouldn’t the angels try me -
just - once - more -
Just - see - if I troubled them -
But don’t - shut the door!

Oh if I - were the Gentlemen
in the White Robe
and they - were the little Hand -- that knocked --
Could - I - forbid?
Why do they shut me out of Heaven?
Did I sing too loud?

Track Name: Strings in the Earth and Air

Strings in the earth and the air
make music sweet
strings by the river
where the willows meet
there’s music along the river
for love wanders there
pale flowers on his mantle
dark leaves on his hair
all softly straying
with head to the music bent
and fingers playing
upon an instrument
twilight turns from amethyst
to deep and deeper blue
lamps light with a pale green glow
the trees of the avenue
the old piano plays an air
sedate and slow and gay
she bends upon the yellow keys
her head inclines this way
shy thoughts and grave wide eyes
and hands that wander as they list
twilight turns a darker blue
with lights of amethyst.

Track Name: Memories - A. Very Pleasant, B. Rather Sad

A. Very Pleasant
We’re sitting in the opera house;
We’re waiting for the curtain to arise
With wonders for our eyes;
We’re feeling pretty gay,
And well we may,
"O, Jimmy, look!" I say,
"The band is tuning up
And soon will start to play."
We whistle and we hum,
Beat time with the drum.

We’re sitting in the opera house;
We’re waiting for the curtain to arise
With wonders for our eyes,
A feeling of expectancy,
A certain kind of ecstasy,
Expectancy and ecstasy... Shhhhh.

B. Rather Sad
From the street a strain on my ear doth fall,
A tune as threadbare as that "old red shawl,"
It is tattered, it is torn,
It shows signs of being worn,
It’s the tune my Uncle hummed from early morn,
’Twas a common little thing and kind ’a sweet,
But ’twas sad and seemed to slow up both his feet;
I can see him shuffling down
To the barn or to the town,
A humming.

Track Name: By Strauss

Away with the music of Broadway
Be off with your Irving Berlin
Oh I give no quarter to Kern or Cole Porter
And Gershwin keeps pounding on tin

How can I be civil when hearing this drivel
It’s only for night-clubbin’ souses
Oh give me the free ’n’ easy waltz that is Vienneasy and
Go tell the band if they want a hand
The waltz must be Strauss’s

Ja, ja ja, give me oom-pa-pah
When I want a melody
Lilting through the house
Then I want a melody
By Strauss
It laughs, it sings, the world is in rhyme
Swinging to three-quarter time

Let the Danube flow along
And the Fledermauss
Keep the wine and give me song
By Strauss

By Jove, by Jing, by Strauss is the thing
So I say to ha-cha-cha, heraus!
Just give me your oom-pa-pah, by Strauss!

Ask me how do I feel
Ask me now that we’re cozy and clinging
Well sir, all I can say, is if I were a bell I’d be ringing!

From the moment we kissed tonight
That’s the way I’ve just gotta behave
Boy, if I were a lamp I’d light
And If I were a banner I’d wave!

Ask me how do I feel, little me with my quiet upbringing
Well sir, all I can say is if gate I’d be swinging!
And if I were a watch I’d start popping my springs!
Or if I were a bell I’d go ding dong, ding dong ding!

Ask me how do I feel from this chemistry lesson I’m learning.
Well sir, all I can say is if I were a bridge I’d be burning!

Yes, I knew my morale would crack
From the wonderful way that you looked!
Boy, if I were a duck I’d quack!
Or if I were a goose I’d be cooked!

Ask me how do I feel, ask me now that we’re fondly caressing
Well, if I were a salad I know I’d be splashing my dressing
Ask me how to describe this whole beautiful thing
Well, if I were a bell I’d go ding dong, ding dong ding!

Track Name: I Got Rhythm

Days can be sunny,
With never a sigh ;
Don’t need what money can buy.
Birds in the trees sing
Their day full of song,
Why shouldn’t we sing along?
I’m chipper all the day,
Happy with my lot.
How do I get that way?
Look at what I’ve got:

I got rhythm
I got music
I got my man
Who could ask for anything more?
I got daisies
In green pastures,
I got my man
Who could ask for anything more?

Ol’Man Trouble,
I don’t mind him.
You won’t find him
’Round my door.
I got starlight,
I got sweet dreams,
I got my man,
Who could ask for anything more?
Who could ask for anything more?

Track Name: Fascinating Rhythm

Got a little rhythm, a rhythm, a rhythm
That pitter-patters through my brain
So darn persistent, the day isn’t distant
When it’ll drive me insane
Comes in the morning, without any warning
And hangs around me all day
I’ll have to sneak up to it, someday and speak up to it
I hope it listens when I say

Fascinatin’ rhythm, you’ve got me on the go
Fascinatin’ rhythm, I’m all a-quiver
What a mess you’re making, the neighbors want to know
Why I’m always shaking, just like a flivver
Each morning I get up with the sun
Start a-hopping, never stopping
To find, that night, no work has been done
I know that
Once it didn’t matter, but now you’re doing wrong
When you start to patter, I’m so unhappy
Won’t you take a day off, decide to run along
Somewhere far away off, and make it snappy
Oh, how I long to be the gal I used to me
Fascinatin’ rhythm, oh, won’t you stop picking on me?

Track Name: I Love a Piano

As a child I went wild when a band played, How I ran to the man when his hand swayed
Clarinets were my pets, and a slide trombone I thought was simply divine
But today when they play I could hiss them, Ev’ry bar is a jar to my system
But there’s one musical instrument that I call mine

I love a piano, I love a piano
I love to hear somebody play
Upon a piano, a grand piano
It simply carries me away
I know a fine way to treat a Steinway
I love to run my fingers o’er the keys, the ivories
And with the pedal I love to meddle
Not only music from Broadway
I’m so delighted if I’m invited
To hear that long haired genius play
So you can keep your fiddle and your bow
Give me a p-i-a-n-o, oh, oh
I love to stop right beside an upright
Or a high toned baby grand

When a green Tetrazzine starts to warble, I grow cold as an old piece of marble
I allude to the crude little party singer who don’t know when to pause
At her best I detest the soprano, But I run to the one at the piano
I always love the accomp’niment and that’s because

I love a piano...

Track Name: Say It With Music

Music is a language lovers understand
Melody and romance wander hand in hand
Cupid never fails assisted by a band
So if you have something sweet to tell her

Say it with music
Beautiful music
Somehow they’d rather be kissed
To the strains of Chopin or Liszt
A melody mellow
Played on a cello
Helps mister Cupid along
So say it with a beautiful song